The top-ranked Henin beat Hsieh Su-wei, the first Taiwanese player through to the fourth round of a Grand Slam event, 6-2, 6-2 in 74 minutes today to extend her winning streak to 32 matches.

She next faces Maria Sharapova, who routed No. 11 Elena Dementieva 6-2, 6-0 in 62 minutes.

"I always know to beat her I have to be at my best," Henin said of Sharapova. "She's a real fighter."

The fifth-ranked Sharapova was expected to have a tough time against Dementieva, but broke her fellow Russian's serve six of seven times, including at love to finish off.

"I have always had really tough games against her and I wanted to make sure I kept my focus all the way through," Sharapova said.

Defending champion Serena Williams, who went through periods of inconsistency in her first three matches, was sharper and more consistent in a 6-4, 6-4 win over No. 12 Nicole Vaidisova.

Williams faltered only while serving up a break at 4-3, with Vaidisova breaking to even the set. But Williams broke right back. Vaidosova smashed her racket in anger, then netted a forehand on match point as Williams held at love to finish off the match.

To go along with nine aces, Williams had 23 winners and only 11 unforced errors as she seems to be improving in every match. She next plays No. 3 Jelena Jankovic, a 7-6 (3), 6-1 winner over Australia's Casey Dellacqua.

"Oh, wow. It will be tough for sure," Jankovic said. "We've had some tough matches. I've beaten here a few times, so we will see."

The women's fast work followed the drama Saturday that started with a rare five-setter for Roger Federer and carried on until Lleyton Hewitt finished off Marcos Baghdatis not long before dawn Sunday.

Day 6 at the Australian Open was a long, long journey. About one-third of the 15,000 people with tickets for the Saturday night session didn't leave until Hewitt smacked a forehand past Baghdatis at 4:33 a.m. Sunday.

Federer needed 4 hours, 27 minutes to beat 49th-ranked Janko Tipsarevic 6-7 (5), 7-6 (1), 5-7, 6-1, 10-8 in an extended afternoon match that pushed back the night session at least two hours.

Federer had won 30 straight sets at Melbourne Park since dropping the first in the 2006 final against Baghdatis. The Swiss star had lost only six games in his first two matches this year.

"It's not such a relief — it's more happiness," Federer told the crowd at Rod Laver Arena, where he has won the last two Australian titles and three overall. "I'm happy I could deliver a five-set thriller. It was good to be part of something like this."

David Nalbandian and Juan Carlos Ferrero stepped back on the same court to begin the Sunday schedule little more than 6 hours after Hewitt and Baghdatis walked off.

Former No. 1 Ferrero beat 10th-seeded Nalbandian 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 in a third-round match postponed by rain Saturday. In another third-rounder, No. 5 David Ferrer beat American Vincent Spadea 6-3, 6-3, 6-2. Ferrero will play Ferrer in the fourth round.

No. 24 Jarkko Nieminen beat Philipp Kohlschreiber 3-6, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (9), 6-3 and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga edged No. 8 and fellow Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), 6-3.

In women's third-round matches carried over from Saturday: No. 9 Daniela Hantuchova beat Virginia Ruano Pascual 6-2, 6-3, No. 14 Nadia Petrova defeated Ekaterina Makarova 6-1, 7-6 (8), and Marta Domachowska overcame China's Li Na 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Wedged between the epic five-setters Saturday, Venus Williams finished off Sania Mirza in straight sets after declining an invitation to either postpone that match or move to Vodafone Arena, the other stadium with a roof at Melbourne Park.

So when Hewitt tossed the ball up for his first serve it was 11:47 p.m. — the latest start for a singles match in the Australian Open. He broke Baghdatis on his fifth match point 4:45 later to win 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-3.

"Obviously, an incredible day of tennis," Hewitt said, sounding hoarse and tired. "I mean, for Roger Federer to go five sets — how often does that happen?"

Hewitt will play No. 3 Novak Djokovic, who ousted Sam Querrey 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 to leave James Blake as the best U.S. hope at the Open.

Blake rallied from two sets down and then a double-break in the fourth to beat Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean 4-6, 2-6, 6-0, 7-6 (5), 6-2.

Next for Blake is the 6-foot-5 Marin Cilic, a 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-1 winner over last year's losing finalist, Fernando Gonzalez.

In fourth-round matches Sunday, No. 2 Rafael Nadal faced Paul-Henri Mathieu and No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko played No. 14 Mikhail Youzhny in a match between Russians.

Federer said his five-setter would give him a good idea of where he stands as he bids to make an 11th consecutive Grand Slam final. A title would move him within one of Pete Sampras' record 14 majors.

"I don't have them often," said Federer, who needed every one of his personal best 39 aces to fend off Tipsaravic.